The Dark Side of the Moon
by midnightphantom13
Summary: Beth is kidnaped by a religious cult bent on exterminating all vampires and Mick St. John is their first target. Can Mick save Beth and himself before it's too late? Set after "Fated to Pretend" Please R&R, constructive critisism is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. This story contains adult content and graphic situations so if you aren't of age or you don't feel comfortable reading, please kindly press the back button on your browser. For everyone else, this is my first Moonlight fic so constructive criticism is extremely appreciated. Please read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Moonlight. I'm only using them for my entertainment and hopefully some of ****yours.**

* * *

The night was warm as Beth Turner walked out of her Buzzwire office. She stopped for a moment and dug her car keys out of her purse. She had a long day and was ready to go home and get cleaned up before heading to Mick's apartment. This was going to be their first real date since Mick turned back into a vampire. When Beth found her car keys, she noticed a person's reflection on the door of her car and turned around. Expecting it to be Mick, she opened her mouth but was gagged with a disgusting tasting handkerchief. Before Beth could struggle to get a breath so she could scream, the chemicals on the handkerchief fogged her mind and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Mick St. John paced the living room of his apartment checking his watch. This was Beth and his first real date and the nerves were getting to him. Everything was set up; he had reservations at a restaurant for eight o'clock and Beth was supposed to meet him at seven thirty. It was currently seven forty right now and Mick was beginning to get worried. It wasn't like Beth to be late. Five minutes later, Mick decided to call her cell phone.

He heard the phone ring, and ring again, and again, and finally heard, "Hey this is Beth, please leave a message and I'll get back to you."

Frustrated, Mick hung up the phone and decided to go over to Buzzwire to see if she was still there. On the way, he tried to call Beth again but only got her voice mail. When Mick arrived at Buzzwire, he noticed that Beth's car was still parked in the parking lot. Mick noticed that her keys were lying next to her car and could distinctly smell chloraphorm in the air. If his heart was still beating, it would've begun racing. Mick couldn't smell any vampires in the area, but that did little to ease his fears. Mick decided to call someone who had more influence over people than he did.

"Mick." Josef said in a bored voice, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Josef, Beth's been kidnapped." Mick began.

"Oh, what a surprise there," Josef said sarcastically.

"Shut up, I need you to ask some of your friends if anyone slipped up and accidentally exposed themselves."

"Why do you always accuse another vampire after something like this happens?" he asked, annoyed. "Face it Mick, she's a sitting duck. She's human, things like this happen, and sometimes vampires have no part to play in this."

"What do you want me to do? I'm not going leave her for dead!" Mick growled.

"The responsible thing to do would be to level the playing field if you know what I mean. Our lifestyle isn't very conducive to a human's longevity Mick. If you care about her, you'll stop seeing her or stop putting her in constant danger. Anyway, I'll ask around and get back to you in ten minutes. I'm expecting something good in return for this, preferably some O positive."

* * *

Beth woke up in a dark room tied to something wooden. She felt a drop of liquid slowly run down her forehead and onto her lips. It was her blood. Once her mind cleared she could feel the sharp pain from the wound in her head. Though she couldn't see it, every time she'd move more blood would trickle down her face. Across the room she could hear someone shuffling around and moving stuff on a table.

"Hello is anyone there?" she called.

The footsteps stopped and the lights came on. There were three hooded figures and they each had something in their hands. One pulled out a bible and began chanting in Latin while the other two began moving towards Beth slowly – almost ritualistic. Both figures pulled out surgical scalpels and made incisions on both of her bound wrists. Beth cried out as the blade ran across her skin and blood ran down her forearms. Both figures then walked towards the third with the bible and knelt down and joined in with the chanting.

"What do you want from me?" Beth screamed.

The man holding the bible shut it and slowly lowered the hood on his robe. He was in his early sixties and had grey hair that was tied into a ponytail.

"I want to know how to kill vampires."

"And what makes you think I even believe in vampires? Beth sneered.

The man walked over and slapped her. "You are in the presence of the Almighty Lord, do not lie to him. Now tell me, how to you kill vampires?"

"Fuck off," Beth said, spitting in his face.

"Fine, but you'll find that we can be very persuasive." He said, motioning for the other two men to rise and follow him out the room.

* * *

"Sorry Mick," Josef said, "all of the people that would talk to me said they haven't done anything that would arouse suspicion. But you may want to take a look on channel three, there's something very interesting going on downtown."

When Josef hung up, Mick turned his TV on and listened:

"_Angry protesters are parading through downtown L.A. today. They belong to a faction called God's Army and apparently they're not happy."_

Mick watched as men and women paraded around in black hooded cloaks holding signs that said, "Only the Almighty should live forever" and "The devil's children are among us."

"_Though it's really unclear what their protesting about, their message has been heard."_

Mick knew what they were protesting about. They were protesting the existence of vampires.

**A.N. God's Army is a fictional faction created by me, and is in no way intended to mock, poke fun, or belittle any religious groups. Please do not take this as an attack on your personal religion.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are very much appreciated! A second chapter is on its way and it will be longer. I just thought this would be a good place to stop.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Here's chapter two and just for the record, I HATE frigging scholarship essays! Now that I have that off my chest …. R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Moonlight; I'm only using them for my entertainment and hopefully yours**

Beth whimpered in pain as the metal cuffs that suspended her wrists dug into her skin. Her whole body hurt and she could also hear the occasional 'drip' as drops of her own blood hit the floor. Her whole body hurt from the awkward position she was it and her legs went numb hours ago.

"Why are you doing this?" Beth asked out loud.

"Its god's will my child." A voice from the darkness said, "Vampires are an abomination – a mistake – and God doesn't like mistakes."

"How do you know what god wants?" Beth asked, "How does anyone know what he wants."

"I know he doesn't want sinners," The priest said as he took the scalpel from a tray near him, "and the only way to atone for your sins is through a blood payment."

"The only one who has to atone for anything is you," Beth hissed as her tears mixed with her own blood as the scalpel passed over her forearms. She watched helplessly as the cuts began to form intricate symbols and designs.

"Ask for forgiveness my child, and you shall be forgiven." The priest said and grabbed a bible and began to pray.

"I'll never tell you anything!" Beth shrieked struggling against her restraints which made her wounds bleed even more.

"Oh I'm counting on it," the priest said smugly as he ran a finger over Beth's cuts which made her scream out in pain.

* * *

Mick walked along the crowd of protesters looking for any suspicious people. As if right on cue, a man dressed in a black robe looked around quickly before walking down an alley.

"This is a strange time to be protesting isn't it?" Mick whispered next to his ear. If he was going to get information, he had to do it inconspicuously. When the man turned around, Mick pushed him against the wall next to a large garbage dumpster. Mick's pale blue eyes watched as the man realized what he was up against.

"Va – vampire!" the man choked out in a strangled voice.

"Where's Beth Turner?" Mick asked as he pinned the man to the wall.

"I'm not telling you anything!"

"You will if you want to live." Mick growled and yanked the man's face to the side exposing his jugular.

"Go to hell!" the man spat.

"I'm already there." Mick said and sank his fangs into the man's neck.

The man's screams alerted others and Mick heard footsteps running towards the alley. Quickly, he scaled a fire escape and jumped onto the roof.

"The boss isn't gonna like this." Mick heard one man say as he inspected the body.

"Well he doesn't have to know." Another guy said, "He didn't even like the guy."

"But still, this means there's a vampire in the area."

"Maybe it's the one the boss is looking for. I always wondered why he had us kidnap that blond reporter when anyone would've done."

"Yeah, I mean it's just a shame she's fucking vampires. She'd be a great piece of ass."

Both men walked away laughing and making more crude remarks. It took everything in Mick's willpower to not attack those two men. _They don't deserve to live_; Mick thought as he got back into his car and followed them. He pulled onto the freeway and began following the men out of the city. As Mick drove onto the exit ramp, his phone rang.

"Josef, I'm busy right now. I'm following two men who know where Beth is." Mick said quickly and made a motion to end the call.

"Wait Mick, I've heard of these guys. They're called; "God's Army" and they pose as a religious organization when really they're an anti-vampire cult. They've hunted us longer than I've existed. They're the _real_ Van Helsings of the world Mick."

"But they have Beth!" Mick protested, "And I'm not going to sit at home twiddling my thumbs because I'm scared of a cult. I love her Josef and I'd do anything for her just like you'd do anything for Sarah."

"Yes, but don't be stupid about it" Josef said, "I mean, think about it Mick, they've probably been watching both of us. They're using your love for Beth as bait to lure you to them. They don't want Beth, they want you!"

Mick thought about it for a moment before he said, "Fine, but what do you want me to do."

"Wait for me before you do anything. Don't enter any building and don't talk to anyone. I'm following your route out of town. You're tech buddy let me borrow a few things. I'll be there soon." Josef said and hung up.

Mick threw his phone onto the passenger seat. He hated waiting and he knew that every minute that passed lowered Beth's chance for survival. The men ahead of him turned off onto a back road and so Mick pulled over and followed them on foot. _It would look to conspicuous if I followed them all the way there,_ Mick thought as he began to run down the road at a speed that was faster than most horses. When he began approaching a large white church, he slowed down to a jog and ran into the forest. The men he followed grabbed something out of their trunk, opened a cellar door on the side of the church, and descended down the stairs. Mick was torn between waiting for Josef and going in after Beth, but he felt Beth needed help now so he quietly went down the stairs.

The room was cool but smelt stale and there were still cobwebs on the furniture, bookcase, and large pipe organ. Mick listened for people and found that they were all congregated in the furthest room. He could hear them praying and he also heard something that tore his heart, he heard Beth's agonizing scream. As he drew closer he focused on all of the heartbeats in the room and found one to be abnormally faster and weaker than the others. He could also hear the occasional 'drip' of something onto the floor and felt the burning in his throat as he smelt what it was. It was Beth's blood and then it hit him. The cult was bleeding Beth dry to attract other vampires (including himself) and killing them.

**A.N. Dun Dun Dun…Hope you enjoyed it my lovely readers! I unfortunately will be slightly slow on getting chapters out there since school has once again resumed and as you can read by my first note, I have college stuff that takes precedence over this right now. But don't worry, this story will still continue. Remember, reviews are very much appreciated. .**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Thanks for hanging in there with me guys, it's been a busy few weeks and I've finally found the time to sit down and write another chapter….so without further adieu….by the way, please remember that I'm not declaring religion as a bad thing. I use some religious themes that may not be pleasant for highly religious people. I don't want to offend you and I am not in any way contradicting your beliefs. I'm only trying to tell a story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight or any of the show's characters – I'm not that brilliant – I'm only writing about them for my entertainment and hopefully yours.**

Mick walked silently down the hall. The smell of Beth's blood in the air was so pungent that he had a hard time breathing it in. As he hid in the shadows the priest and his followers moved away from Beth. Mick's stomach clenched painfully as he saw her tied to a wooden pole reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials. Whatever clothes Beth had on were ripped almost completely away. Her beautiful blond hair was dull and her skin was ashen. The only colors detectable on her body were the black, yellow, and blue bruises on her wrists from the metal shackles and the scarlet designs that wound around her body.

Mick watched as the cult members walked around Beth in a counterclockwise formation praying in Latin. The leader in the middle stood next to Beth, raised the scalpel in the air, and prayed before he cut away the remnants of her clothing. He then took out a syringe filled with a dark colored liquid and injected it into her arm. Mick's blood began to boil and he sprinted into the room breaking a man's neck and throwing two others against a bookshelf before the group even noticed he was there.

"Ah, welcome vampire," the priest began, "I take it you're here for a little snack. It's too bad the juice bar is almost empty."

Mick growled and launched himself at the priest, who pulled out a stake and ran it through Mick's chest.

"Vampires are always so predictable." He sneered, "This was almost too easy, and to think the boss thought I underestimated you're kind."

Mick groaned and fell to the ground, clutching the wooden stake in his chest.

"Now that you've been so kind to join us vampire, we have something special for you." The priest sneered and motioned for a teenage boy to come.

"Aaron, please hand me that scalpel on the tray over there." The boy nodded and retrieved the scalpel.

"You've been a faithful servant Aaron. The god likes people who serve him, so he's decided to reward you. I believe you're still a virgin, correct?"

Aaron nodded a little, "Yes father, I'm one of the last ones in my class."

"Good boy," the priest smiled, "God has rewarded you my son. He has given you a woman – a beautiful one at that."

"I-I'm not sure if I should do this, father. Defiling this woman is a sin against God. He's trying to tempt me."

"Certainly not!" the priest cried, "This woman has lied with an abomination and should be put to death. But I thought that perhaps she could be shown a little bit of the lord's grand compassion through you."

"But in front of all these people, father?" Aaron asked looking around. When he glanced at Mick, he jumped back a little. Mick looked beyond furious. His eyes blazed and would've ripped everyone to shreds if he wasn't paralyzed.

"Certainly not my son," the priest said, "let me just unbind her first and we'll leave."

He took the bolt cutters lying nearby and cut the chains that bound Beth's arms to the ceiling. She collapsed immediately and fell into Aaron's arms. When he saw the extent of her injuries and the amount of blood that was everywhere, he dropped her, and ran out the door right into a very pissed off Josef.

Before the boy could say anything, Josef pushed his head into the nearby wall and stormed into the room. Men shouted and ran about in a panicked frenzy. Josef went around the room and began killing the fallen disciples. Three hundred years of pent up anger was unleashed and very few people survived.

"So we meet again Marcus, or should I say Josef?"

"Since when does hell have reprieves, Absolon?" Josef growled and pushed the priest into the corner. Josef grabbed Absolon by his throat and slowly began digging his nails into the skin. Bubble's onyx colored blood began to trickle out and made hissing sounds as it hit the floor.

"The master will be very upset if you kill me. He whispered in a strangled voice.

"Well the master can kiss my ass." Josef hissed and threw him against the wall. Absolon's neck cracked and his body crumpled to the ground.

Josef looked at Mick and pulled the stake out. "You couldn't wait for me outside like I told you?"

"How do you know him Josef?" Mick asked as began coughing, trying to get his breathing regulated again.

"It isn't the right time to talk about it." Josef said and immediately went over to Beth. She was lying on the floor with her blond hair hiding her face.

"Beth, can you hear me?" Mick asked, his throat beginning to tighten with her non responsive answer. Mick could hear her heartbeat accelerating as her body worked harder to pump what little blood she had to her heart.

"Beth, please hold on." Mick pleaded as he took off his jacket. A wide range of thoughts passed through his head as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Did she want this? Could her weakened body even survive the change? Mick felt his teeth lengthen into fangs and he bit down on his wrist. The taste of his own blood filled his mouth and he put his wrist next to Beth's mouth.

"God dammit Beth, please wake up." Mick cried as he squeezed the blood out of his arm and into her mouth before the wound healed. He could hear Beth's heartbeat begin to gradually slow down and then stop. Mick waited with baited breath and watched to see if she'd stir. Minutes seemed like hours as Mick waited.

"Mick," Josef began.

Mick made a motion for him to be quiet but he ignored it.

"Mick, she isn't going to wake up."

"Her body just hasn't replenished all of the blood she's lost. She'll wake up."

"No she won't Mick," Josef said, "When a person dies you feel an empty sort of presence around them. What you're feeling is an absence of a soul. I can't feel 'Beth' any longer. Her body is just that, it's a body."

"NOOOO!" Mick roared launching himself at Josef. His body was shaking with emotions: fury, anger, and immense sadness.

"I'm sorry Mick," he said as he blinked away tears. Mick was so much happier when Beth came back into his life and Josef liked seeing Mick that way. Fifty years was too long to go without loving someone.

"But I _loved _her." Mick choked out, "I could've saved her. I should've listened and waited for you. Beth died because of my stubborn and single-minded attempt to try and save her."

"Don't and blame yourself Mick, none of this is your fault." Josef said gently, he didn't think Mick could survive another self-guilt trip and when Mick looked up; Josef could see the pain deep in his eyes.

"Let's just go," Mick said quietly; his voice hollow and emotionless. He picked up Beth and cradled her in his arms.

"Mick you have to leave Beth here, it's a crime scene." Josef said and reached out to take her away.

Mick spun around, "If you touch her, so help me God, I'll break your arm"

"I'm sorry Mick."

"Yeah, well let's just go."

Mick followed Josef out to his car, gingerly put her in the backseat, and got in next to her. The car sped back onto the freeway.

"_Just don't take too long, you may have forever, but I don't."_

Beth's words from the night before echoed over and over in Mick's head as he bandaged her wounds. The irony of it all affected Mick the most. He gave up his mortality to save Beth only to lose her a day later.

The city of Los Angeles sped by and in a matter of minutes Josef's car stopped on the top most floor of the parking garage. Mick carried Beth into his apartment and laid her down on his bed. Mick covered her nearly naked body with a blanket and brushed away stray strands of hair from her face.

"Mick," Josef began hesitantly, "I'm not one for eulogies but Beth wouldn't have wanted you to remember her like this. Remember the good times you had with her, don't dwell on what happened tonight. It will only eat you up inside."

"Beth was the only person there for me when you 'died' that night." He replied sadly.

"Yeah, irony is a bitch, but if you need me to stay with you, I will. I'll even behave and drink your store-bought blood."

Mick nodded while lost in thought and sat down next to the bed. He was determined to be there if Beth woke up.

"Mick," Josef said gently, "You have to let her go."

"I can't," Mick mumbled, "Just like you can't let Sarah go. I don't want her to be alone."

Josef knew the protectiveness he was feeling. He felt it too when he (almost) sired Sarah and re-sired Mick. It's just part of the vampire package.

"Josef, you should just go. I _will not_ leave Beth and I don't think she's dead…at least not yet. So, whatever you have planned, please postpone it. Just give me one more day."

"Fine, I'll come back later then." What more could he do? Mick made it very clear that he wouldn't let her go to a mortuary to get embalmed. Josef looked back one more time and watched as Mick's back heaved up and down from silent dry sobs.

Mick broke down when he heard the door close. He tenderly stroked Beth's cheek and lightly traced the now pink marks on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, Beth. I watched over you for twenty two years and I failed."

"No…" came a raspy voice. "You didn't fail."

Mick looked down Beth's eyes met his. She was alive.

**A.N. ooooh! Cliffhanger, muwaahaha! Sorry, it's been a long few weeks and I hope I didn't freak you guys out too much. Did you really think I'd kill Beth?? Pshh, I'd have tons of angry fan fiction readers to run from if I did. Anyway, everything isn't what it seems. That's all I'm going to say about that…so until next time….and remember reviews and constructive criticism is very much appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. Thank you to all of my awesome reviewers, I'm glad you're still taking an interest in my story. There was one question someone asked me on a review and it's a good question so I'm going to explain it. The question was, "Why couldn't Josef tell that Beth wasn't 'dead.' It's because technically see was dead…for a moment at least. If you remember, the priest injected her with a substance which negated the effects of Mick's blood…and you'll learn the rest in the upcoming chapter. So basically to sum it all up without giving too much away, Josef was correct in assuming Beth was dead. Aren't you excited to read now? Hehe…**

**Also…I finally watched the season finale on my iTunes (kind of slow on the uptake but…oh well) so now I really wished I set the story after "Sonata" as a follow up because I didn't realize how well they closed it. (In contrast to Blood Ties *cough cough*) But, oh well…the setting still stands. I've also had to revise some things because writing while drugged with cold and flu medication made some of my writing incoherent. So please forgive minor typos.**

**Disclaimer: I do now own any of the characters from Moonlight; I'm only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

"No…" a raspy voice said, "You didn't fail."

Mick looked down and Beth's eyes met his. She was alive!

"Oh my God Beth, What…How…?" Mick exclaimed, to ecstatic to form proper sentences.

Beth smiled feebly, "Don't know…tired…hungry..."

Mick sprang up from the couch, retrieved a blood bag, and poured it into a glass. When he returned, Beth was sitting up and had the blankets wrapped tightly around her.

"How are you feeling?" Mick asked as he handed her the glass.

"C-cold." Beth replied and set the glass of blood beside her.

Mick felt her forehead and she was indeed cooler than her normal human temperature.

"You're going to feel cold for a while, at least until you're body adjusts to the drop in temperature" Mick explained.

"What's wrong?" Beth asked, her teeth chattering. "You're paler than usual."

"I…I thought you were dead. You died in my arms…and now you're back. I'm scared that this might be only a dream and that I'll wake up and you'll be dead, again. I don't think I could handle that."

When Mick sat down next to Beth, she took his hand into hers.

"It's not a dream Mick. I did die." Beth whispered, "But because of you, I came back. If it wasn't for you, we would've been in the same situation we were in two days ago. Now I'm not so much of a liability anymore."

Mick looked hurt, "I never thought of you as a liability, Beth. I did all of those things for you because I love you, not because I felt obligated to."

"I know, but it's not so easy being the damsel in distress, I want to be the hero too."

Mick smiled, "You should probably try drinking a little blood."

"I wonder what it will taste like," Beth mused as Mick gave her the glass. She sniffed it tentatively and took a sip. As the blood flowed over her tongue, it felt as if an explosion had been set off inside her mouth. Beth felt her eye teeth lengthen into sharp points. Everything around her seemed to be frozen as if time stood still. As she attempted to drink more, Mick gently took the glass away.

"Slow down a little; your body takes awhile to adjust to drinking blood. It's common for newborn vampires to get sick from drinking too much, too fast."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Beth said and put a shaking hand to her now pounding forehead. "Is it always like this when you feed from someone?"

Mick gently helped Beth lay back against the pillow. "At first it was, I'd get so sick that I couldn't even move but then it got better."

"How long did it last?"

"For me, it ended after the fourth time I fed from someone. But you have to remember, that was in the fifties, and I didn't have connections with the city morgue yet. Drinking blood from a human is much more potent than taking it from a blood bag."

Beth looked a little afraid, "This is potent enough. I think I'll take your word on it."

Just then Mick's phone vibrated. "Mick…"Josef began hesitantly when he heard Mick's voice on the other end, "Could you let me in? I'm waiting outside your door."

"Wow, Josef Kostine calling_ before_ arriving at my apartment. This is a first." Mick said half-jokingly.

Josef was taken aback by Mick's sudden cheery disposition and then became concerned. Did his friend finally crack under the emotional stress of Beth's death?

"Yeah, well I thought it would be best…considering the circumstances."

When Mick opened the door, Josef and another guy walked in. The man was dressed in all black and was pushing a stretcher with a black body bag.

"Mick, this is Roy from the Cleaners. He's here to pick up Beth."

"What, no! You don't understand." Mick protested.

"Mick," Josef said gently, "You have to let her go."

"Josef, Beth is not dead." Mick said and began steering him into his living room.

Before Josef could protest, he saw Beth lying on the hide-a-bed drinking a little more of the blood Mick left for her. If his heart was still beating, it would've stopped right there. How could she be alive? He watched her die. Beth's body had been abused too much for her to come back.

"Hi Josef," Beth said quietly.

Unable to say anything, Josef nodded once in acknowledgement and continued to gape at her.

"Alright, you can stop staring." Beth said, "I'm not a circus attraction."

"How are you alive?" Josef asked once he regained a little of his composure.

"I don't really know." Beth admitted, "The last thing I remember was this boy and the head priest – people called him Demetri – talking about raping me. Demetri said that I was an abomination and that the boy was being such a faithful servant and deserved to "have his way with me."

Beth's cerulean blue eyes looked sadly up at the men; she saw their pity and hated it. Beth could feel Josef's eyes tracing over her scars and despite the sheet covering her, she felt very naked.

Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, Josef spoke first, "Well, I'm glad to see you're safe. So, how's the undead life treating you so far?"

"It's actually pretty boring, I mean I've been a vampire for what – three hours – and I haven't tried out my cool vampire reflexes, slept in a freezer, or killed anyone yet. Now I know why Mick hates being a vampire." Beth joked.

"I'll see what I can do about the first two," Mick said smirking, "But as for the last one, I don't think you'd want that on your conscience for eternity."

"Mick's right Beth," Josef said taking a seat next to her, "You're going to need to be careful when you're around humans. You're now a lot stronger than they are; in fact I recommend that you leave Los Angeles, at least for now. Too many people know who you are here. I have an apartment in Chicago you two could stay in, at least until all of this with Demitri's cult blows over.

"Yes which reminds me Josef," Mick replied, "how do you know Demitri and his group so well in the first place?" Mick asked.

"Demitri's cult has been around longer than I've been alive." Josef began, motioning for Mick to sit down. "Ever since Christianity began, there've been people to mock it. I mean, our own existence is like a big "fuck you" to God. According to the bible, only God is supposed to live forever."

"I don't understand Josef, I know that Demitri controls a very dangerous cult, but what has that got to do with the existence of vampires?" Mick replied.

"Beth you've been to Sunday School, right?" Josef asked.

"Yeah…but I've gone only once or twice though."

"Do you know the story about Lucifer and his fallen angels?"

"Vaguely, but then again I was only five when I went." Beth replied.

"Lucifer was one of God's most favorite and valued angels, but his arrogance and pride blinded him and he challenged God. A great war erupted in heaven and God's archangels, Gabrielle and Michael helped to subdue Lucifer. Angry at Lucifer's behavior, God sent him and his followers out of heaven and banished them to hell, where they now rule. Lucifer and his followers were allowed to walk on earth, but were never allowed back into heaven. Therefore, Lucifer tries to tempt man away from God and mocks everything he stands for. Demitri is one of Lucifer's fallen angels and for the past few months, he's been campaigning heavily to eradicate vampires."

"How can he campaign to exterminate us, when most people don't even believe in our existence?" Mick questioned.

"Demitri has been telling the general public that he has communicated with God through divine visions and that by exterminating all impure things he is doing God's work. So, the general public is either not smarter than the average human or they're too afraid to speak out against Demitri and his clan."

"If people are on the look-out for vampires, then why do you want us to go to Chicago?" Beth asked Josef, "It wouldn't matter where we went. We'd be in constant danger."

"Yes, but that's assuming the movement has progressed throughout the entire United States. I believe Chicago should be far enough away from the media here in Los Angeles. Plus, if something does happen, you could always migrate north. There are plenty of forests to hide in and the towns are filled with drunks to swipe a little blood off of."

Hearing this news, Beth looked less than thrilled.

"Don't worry Beth," Mick said sensing her aversion to the idea of feeding from humans. "Feeding from humans isn't that bad. You just need to know how to control your intake."

"That's not what I'm concerned about." Beth grumbled, "I really dislike the snow."

**A.N. Wffew! This took me a long time to write. Thanks to school and college stuff this chapter has been extremely delayed. Well, I hope you enjoyed it! If you did please, please review! Constructive Criticism is extremely appreciated and telling some of your friends would be great as well. Sooo….thanks to Fan Fiction's new layout, the review button is extremely easy to see now…is big, green, and says "review story" at the bottom of your screen. Hahaha…ok I'll stop. The next chapter will be up soon! At least I hope it will. Thank you guys for being so patient with me, all of you rock!**

**Oh and no offense to people who live north of Chicago…I thought it would be funny to possibly have them close to my neck of the woods. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Here's chapter five, I hope you enjoy. Reviews are very much appreciated! There's a lime ahead – nothing too graphic, but if you don't like it (for some reason) then don't read. Finally we get some of the Mick/Beth romance and fluff underway. ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Moonlight; I'm only using them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

At the Los Angeles International Airport, Mick and Beth briskly walked to the baggage check-in were a long line of people waited. There were armed personnel from the National Guard and Los Angeles police force situated by each entrance and exit into the building. All of them sported high-powered automatic weapons and some even had wooded stakes holstered to their belts. The hour and a half wait felt like a lifetime for Beth who was having a hard time blocking out the fluttering of three hundred human heartbeats. By the time Beth walked up to the metal detector machine she had a major headache and to make matters worse, when the guard instructed her to walk forward, the machine went off.

"Ma'am, please spread your arms and legs." The guard said and took his wand and began running it over her body. As the wand passed over her forearm, it went off.

"Ma'am I'm going to need you to step aside"

Beth stepped off to the side and the guard waited as Mick walked through.

"Sir, is she with you?" The guard asked.

"Yeah," Mick replied cautiously.

"I'm going to need both of you to step aside." The guard instructed and a woman took Beth behind a white curtain.

"Ma'am, please remove your shirt and pants." The female guard ordered.

When Beth took of her sweater and jeans, the woman moved the wand over her body again. As it passed over her forearm the wand went off again.

Beth became extremely agitated and nervous. She could see the vein in the lady's neck pulse with each beat of her heart.

Suddenly, Beth heard a voice over the walkie-talkie. "Nelson, we have a security beach in terminal A. We need all guards ASAP!"

"Stay here", instructed the female guard and took off towards the disturbance.

Beth dressed quickly and rejoined Mick.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know, but let's get out of here."

Because they couldn't go any faster than the humans around them, Beth and Mick made it to the terminal with five minutes to spare.

"This is the last call for all passengers flying on United 2423 from Los Angeles to Chicago." The stewardess said over the intercom.

"I guess that's us," Mick said and gave the plane tickets to the lady at the gate.

It was six in the morning when the plane took off and the sun was just beginning to rise. Beth marveled at how the sunrise looked to her now. Each object the light touched made its color stand out five fold. Beth could see the deep cerulean fabric of the seats and the reddish tint in the man's hair in front of her. However, Beth found that when she tried to gaze anywhere outside, her eyes watered and burned. So, they spent the whole flight with the shades drawn. About three hours into the flight the man in front of her attempted to spark up a conversation.

"Did you catch the morning news?" He asked

"No, I guess I missed it." Beth replied trying to ignore the aching feeling in her throat.

"Well that's too bad, it was very enlightening. That Demitri guy is pretty enlightening. It's amazing to think that the Lord is communicating with him through visions."

Beth nodded her head in mock agreement hoping the man would stop talking.

"Don't you think it's kind of stupid to believe one person at their word?" Mick interjected, not liking where this conversation was going.

"I don't believe I was asking your opinion, sir." The man said coldly.

"Well I'm still giving it." Mick said coolly, "All this Demitri guy probably wants is his fifteen minutes of fame and some camera time. He's one of those people who wait and find gullible people like you who feed his ego."

"I think the plane is about to land." Beth announced, sensing the tension between the two men.

Mick finally relaxed a little as he sat back and buckled his seatbelt as the plane began descending and thankfully, the man sitting in front was ignorant to the fact that Mick's natural brown eyes were now sporting a shade of light blue.

Later that Day

The temperature in Chicago was ten below zero when Mick and Beth walked off the plane.

"How do people handle this weather?" Beth asked out loud.

"Cheer up; it should get warmer as the day goes on." Mick replied, trying to comfort her.

"To what, zero?"

"If we're lucky," Mick said chuckling.

Beth glared at a falling snowflake. "Why doesn't the cold bother you?"

"Vampires don't mind the cold; it helps preserve our bodies which is one of the reasons why we sleep in a freezer." Mick replied. "With your body only being ten hours old – or dead, whichever way you'd like to look at it –it hasn't yet adjusted to life in colder temperatures. Don't worry; you'll come to prefer the cold actually."

"I doubt it," Beth muttered and followed Mick to collect their luggage.

A black car was waiting for them when they left the airport. The man standing outside of it looked like he belonged to the secret service or the CIA.

"Mick St. John, I presume." The man said shaking Mick's hand. "My name is Kevin Drobot. Mr. Kostine has given me special instructions to protect you while you're in Chicago."

When Beth passed him to get into the car, she noticed that he didn't have a heartbeat. Josef's body guard was a vampire. On the way there the Mick and Kevin discussed the arrangements Josef made as Beth looked out the window. Everything was so white. Even though the tinted windows, Beth could see every single snowflake sparkling in the sunlight. While Beth was immersed in the scenery, a strange jolt of electricity shot up her spine. Her head began pounding and the ache in her throat intensified two fold. Every time she inhaled, it felt as if someone was pouring liquid fire down her throat. But before she could turn to Mick to say anything, Kevin opened her door and the entire sensation left as quickly as it came on.

"We're here Miss Turner," he said helping her out of the car.

Kevin and another bell boy grabbed their luggage and brought it up to the condo. Beth followed wordlessly behind them as she prepared herself mentally for another spasm of pain that never came.

"Are you alright?" Mick asked his face etched with concern.

"It's only jetlag." Beth mumbled and followed Mick inside.

Josef's condo was twice as large as Beth's apartment and finely furnished. Everything was imported, and some items looked decades old.

"Josef likes his toys." Mick told Beth quietly as if that cleared everything up.

"I'll leave you two to get settled," Kevin announced once he put the luggage into a bedroom.

After they got settled in the condo Beth asked, "Do you feel anything when you vamp-out?"

"What do you mean?" Mick replied pulling out a blood bag from the refrigerator. (Thankfully Josef still kept bagged blood around for people when he hosted parties).

"I don't know, like when you're eyes change color. Do you feel any different than you do when you appear human?"

"Um…whatever emotion that triggers me 'vamping out' as you call it just kind of stems from whatever emotion I feel the strongest at that moment. It's usually when I'm angry."

"Oh I see. Were you angry at the man on the plane then for talking to me?" Beth asked with a smile.

"No." Mick lied.

"Yeah right, but I think it's cute – this caveman complex you've got going on. Just please don't throw me over your shoulder and go traipsing off into the forest grunting."

"Anyway, why did you want to know?" Mick asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know," Beth replied warily, "Just curious I guess. It's good to be prepared for everything."

"Hm…you're taking all of this remarkably well you know." Mick commented. "Being a newborn is a rough thing to go through."

"Well you're here, so it kind of compensates for something." Beth said as she kissed Mick.

Mick could smell Beth's blood flowing under her skin despite the lack of a pulse. And though her blood was no longer appealing, smelling part of him in her was very sensual.

"Beth…" Mick warned; if things went any further Mick didn't think he could stop.

When Beth's eyes focused on his, they weren't the familiar ice blue color that Mick's eyes turned when he vamped out but a gold hue. They stared at each other for a while and when Mick made an attempt to back away slowly. He didn't make it but five feet when Beth launched herself at him and slammed him into the wall. Her nails dug into his back and neck.

"Beth…stop." Mick chocked out.

Beth's nostrils flared as she took in Mick's scent. Her long fangs were inches away from his neck and Mick stayed incredibly still. This wasn't right; Beth was acting as if _he_ was the prey. _Is she going to bite me?_ He thought in horror.

"Mick there's something wrong with me." Beth whispered.

"Can you please let go of me?" Mick asked.

"No."

"Please Beth, I can't breathe."

Suddenly, Mick's cell phone rang and then went to his voice mail.

"Please Beth, that's probably Josef calling and I need to talk to him."

"No." she said more firmly.

"Beth this isn't a game!" Mick exclaimed.

"I know this isn't a game," Beth cried, "There's something wrong with me! I physically can't let go of you. I don't' know why. You just smell so good. But there's a part of me that has this incredible urge to kill you.

Beth looked as helpless as though an invisible puppet master controlling her every move. She couldn't move her body without an evil conscience whispering bloody and lustful thoughts to her.

"Please Beth," Mick pleaded only to hear his cell phone go off again. "I'll be able to help you if I can talk to Josef."

Beth released her grip on Mick's neck and slowly backed away. Her eyes were blue again but scarlet tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," Beth said as Mick's phone rang for a third time, "I don't know what's happening to me."

Mick fished his cell phone from his jean pocket and saw that it was indeed Josef.

"What is it Josef?" Mick asked…

**A.N. *hides behind laptop* Sorry – I just thought that was the best place to stop. Oh how the plot thickens…tehehe. Well, wasn't that an active chapter five? And to those of you who wanted to know what Demitri injected into her, you'll find out in chapter six. Hope you enjoyed…oh and see that big green button at the bottom of your screen that says stuff about reviews, please click it and send me comments, critiques, or anything else that's on your mind. TTFN**

**By the way…I just realized that Beth's eye color was an unintentional reference to Twilight. I just want to make this clear, this will not be a Twilight crossover and Beth most defiantly isn't the type of vampire Edward and the rest of his family are. Just thought I'd make that clear….and Moonlight comes out on DVD at the end of January (for all the people in the US) so get out there and pre-order your copy today!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I'll try to answer most of the questions that arose from the previous chapters, but I might forget one so don't be afraid to let me know. I hate continuity errors and unfortunately that's what happens after a month long hiatus. I'm actually writing this on my way to Chicago…hehe…so let's hope inspiration will strike there.**

**Disclaimer: I do now own any of the characters from Moonlight. I am only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

… "What is it Josef?" Mick asked his voice still hoarse from oxygen deprivation.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He replied casually.

"No you're not." Mick replied curtly.

"I was just wondering how you and Beth were doing. Hopefully my man Miguell picked you up at the airport."

Mick paused for a moment; he didn't remember a man named Miguell, "No...a man by the name of Drobot picked us up."

"Shit, damn it," Josef cursed, "He's found you already! Where's Beth?"

"She's upstairs. We've been having some slight difficulties settling down." Mick replied as he rubbed his still bruised neck.

"Do not get anywhere near her." Josef warned, "Until we find out what's going on, you need to stay away from her."

"I'm not going to hide from her Josef! Something strange is going on and hiding from her would only hurt her even more."

Sensing his friend's anger and resentment towards that idea Josef tried another approach, "Fine, but leave her alone for a while. At least until both of you calm down. I'll get back to you when I get some more information."

Josef hung up before Mick could respond. Mick let out an exasperated sigh and tossed his cell phone onto the nearby couch and sat down.

Hours passed by and Beth didn't come down and after about the seventh time gravitating towards the staircase, Mick decided to go check on her.

"Beth?" Mick called out once he got upstairs.

"Stay away from me Mick." Beth quietly warned. She was perched on a window sill fifteen feet above his head.

"It's alright Beth. Whatever this is, we can work it out." He said trying to coerce her.

"I don't think we can Mick." Beth replied sadly, "I can't be around you and I can't let myself hurt you."

Beth jumped from the third floor and landed next to Mick. They eyed each other warily and after about a minute, Mick's hand brushed hers.

"I don't think we can be together." She continued.

"Why, I don't understand?" Mick confessed, "Is it because you didn't want to be changed? Is that it? If it is, just say so. Don't spare my feelings."

"No it's nothing like that!" Beth cried, "It's quite the opposite actually. I love you Mick, really I do and I'm glad you changed me. Even though I told you I wasn't sure I'd be ready for it when that time came."

"Then what's the problem? If you're worried about what happened downstairs, don't be. Everyone responds to vampirism a little differently at first."

"No they don't Mick, not like this. I wanted to _kill_ you Mick. I've never felt that way towards anyone in my life, let alone you. Even as I'm standing next to you, there's this little voice in my head ordering me to stake you right now. Even if this…thought went away temporarily, what if it came back? What if we were in the middle of another intimate moment and I lose it like I did downstairs?"

"Beth, I don't want to pressure you into doing something you're not comfortable with." Mick said frowning, "You don't have to feel obligated to have sex with me just because I turned you."

Beth closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, "Mick you are ridiculous. Of course I want to have sex with you. I just don't want to kill you in the process because I'm sick in the head! So I decided that I'm leaving."

"Ok, where do you want to go?"

"I didn't mean with you Mick." She replied, "I can't stay here, at least not while you're here with me. I need to go somewhere isolated for a while, away from other vampires and humans, or least until I understand what's going on."

Mick opened his mouth to argue but Beth cut him off, "Please don't try to stop me Mick. I just need some space."

She walked out the door leaving Mick staring after her in disbelief, pity, and slight anger. Was it their bond not only as lovers but as sire and fledgling that allowed her to feel his emotions? Whatever it was, it left Beth feeling hollow.

Beth got into a cab and closed the door. Even without looking back she knew Mick was watching her out the window and it broke her heart.

"Where ya goin'?" The man upfront asked as he set the meter on his dashboard.

"How far will this cab take me?" She asked.

"The farthest I go is the Field Museum and Grant's Park."

"Ok, I'll go to the museum." Beth replied.

"Well it's closed right now ma'am, it closes at seven."

"That's fine, I'm meeting someone there." Beth lied; at least there wouldn't be many people to worry about accidently crossing her path.

"Ok, whatever." The man replied and pulled away from the curb.

Twenty minutes later the cab pulled up next to the curb. The lanes that usually held other taxies and buses were deserted. The only cars around belonged the research staff working the night shift. Beth paid the driver and watched as he pulled away. She appreciated the lack of human heartbeats (and the deadly lusting for a certain vampire) to distract her. Lost in thought, Beth began walking to a nearby wooded park. Not far into the park, the sidewalk sloped downward and went under a bridge covered in graffiti. Two men were lounging at the entrance smoking joints.

"Hey girl, wanna come party with us?" One drawled once he spotted her. Beth cringed as the smell of the weed and the alcohol assaulted her hyperactive senses.

"C'mon babe, we won't bite." The other one said with a horrible grin. Of course, she knew that they indeed did bite (though not in the literal sense) and along with the weed and alcohol, she also smelt fear. The scene played out in her mind: a young college girl walked from the museum after getting off work for the day. She was on her way to the bus stop to go back to her dorm on the other end of the city but was jumped by the two men and was brutally raped. After they had their way with her, the young woman ran down the street disheveled and mentally broken.

Beth felt her body tense up as the feelings of anger and redemption for the young woman flowed through her veins. After eying a nearby sign pole, Beth was contemplating skewering them to the cement bridge. Maybe this small act if vigilantism would slake her intense and sudden blood lust. This sudden sanguineous feeling frightened Beth. It took all of Beth's self-control to walk past the two men and take a different path down to the lake.

"Aw c'mon babe, don't be like that." The same guy called after her before they both erupted into raucous laughter.

When Beth figured she was far enough away from the thugs she let out a frustrated and angry scream and sank to her knees. Her entire body quivered with unspent energy and Beth tried to calm herself down. They didn't deserve to live. But then again, who was she to deal out judgment to other people?

"It's not healthy to internalize your anger you know." A familiar and mocking voice said from behind her.

Beth spun around and saw a man dressed in a white suit. His long blond hair was exactly the same shade as Beth's and his eyes were a cold black.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded.

"I'm you, you're boyfriend, and everyone you've ever known." He replied while morphing into the respective people. "But you may call me Demitri."

"Demitri…." Beth said to herself until she remembered who he was. The memories of the pain and humiliation were still very vivid. "You son of a bitch, what the hell have you done to me?"

The smirk on the man's face was the embodiment of patronization and sarcasm.

"I've made you unique." He replied. "You were at first only a pawn in my plan but then I realized a better use for you. I counted on your boyfriend showing up. Vampires are always so predictable. If you take away their toy, they'll come and retrieve it, even if it's broken beyond repair. I was originally going to have one of our young disciples infect you with HIV and watch as your ever so dedicated lover drank from your poisoned body killing you both, but I thought of a better plan. I decided to make you a trained assassin, to help us in our quest of vampire extermination. So I injected into you this…"

Demitri slowly raised his palm upwards over Beth's forearm and watched with satisfaction as she screamed and writhed in pain. A small silver object in the shape of the capital letter "I" rose up as it ripped through her muscles and skin.

"This is called the "Mens Imperium" which quite literally means "mind sovereignty" or "mind control." He continued, talking mostly to himself instead of to Beth. "When activated correctly anything it commands you to do is impossible to ignore. However, I should've known not to let that Drobot fool activate it."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Beth cried out as she held her bleeding arm and exposed metal device.

Demitri swooped down, his face inches from Beth's. "You came to this park to clear your head, did you not? You wanted answers and I gave them to you."

Beth bared her fangs and went to lung at Demetri, but he easily knocked her back down.

"It's a shame that someone so lovely is so disobedient." He purred dangerously as he cupped the side of her face. His black eyes seemed to smolder.

"Let me go." Beth growled.

"Oh I will _meus parvulus, _but unfortunately your freedom won't be long lived. Do you know what else the Mens Imperium does?" he asked smirking, "If damaged, it injects a low amount of silver into the blood stream. The last vampire this happened to died twenty-seven hours later, but I heard after the first thirty minutes he was already begging for death."

Beth watched in horror as the metal device began to dissolve away leaving only a small pill-sized capsule.

"Unfortunately my dear, your time is up." He replied as he clenched his fist and the pill shattered, leaking the liquid metal onto Beth's open wound.

Demitri picked up Beth, carried her into the bushes, and dropped her unceremoniously onto a dying rose bed.

"Oh and don't worry about anyone finding you, my dear." Demitri laughed, "Until you die, you're invisible to the world."

"Now I've been dying to meet your boyfriend," He replied, morphing himself into an exact copy of Beth, "and hopefully he'll be happy to see you so soon after your not so cordial departure."

Tear's of pain and misery ran down Beth's cheeks as she watched Demitri walk away humming a song by The Spaniels shaking his….well her hips to each beat of the music.

**A.N. Thank you again to all of my awesome readers, you people have the patience of saints. So hopefully this chapter was up to par and answered some of your questions. I tried to explain some things fully so there were no confusions and if you have any questions just pm me or comment! (Commenting would be great ^.^) TTFN, hopefully I'll get the next chapter out soon. **

**P.S. "meus parvulus" means "my child" in Latin. Just in case you were wondering... :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N. Hey everyone, here's the next chapter. I apologize ahead of time; we're going to do a little jumping around to keep each character's story going. Wherever you see a page break mark obviously means it's switched to focus on a different character. I hope you enjoy it and remember reviews in the form of constructive criticism or just reviews in general are extremely appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Moonlight; CBS does, I'm only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

* * *

Every breath Beth tried to take sent electric shocks of pain up her spine. She could feel the silver slowly making its way throughout her entire body. Her fingers began quivering a half an hour after Demitri left her to die and she lost her vision about three hours after that. Even though she couldn't see, she could still hear everything around her. It was so infuriating when Beth heard people walking by on their way to work and yet not know that she was lying only fifteen feet away.

_Would I even go to heaven?_ Beth thought bitterly to herself. _Is there an afterlife for vampires or are we considered too dammed to be saved?_

Beth tried to move but that only made silver spread faster so she gave up all together. After what seemed like an hour it began snowing. Even though she couldn't see the snow, she could feel it and it felt as though molten lava was raining from the sky instead of frozen precipitation. Beth began to slowly slip away and each minute that passed made it even harder to breathe. She tried to keep thoughts of Mick squarely in her mind but even that eventually faded away as her mind succumbed to the pain and she peacefully drifted away.

* * *

Mick knew something wasn't right. When Beth walked through the door he felt genuinely scared. Was it because he was recalling their last intimate but dangerous moment?

"What's wrong, aren't you glad to see me?" Beth asked looking hurt.

"Of course I am," Mick replied still eyeing her warily. "But what made you decide to come back so soon? Not that I'm not glad, because I am, but when you said you needed space I thought it would've lasted a while."

"Stop rambling Mick." She replied with a large Cheshire cat smile and wrapped her arms around Mick's neck. "I couldn't bear to be away from you. I took a walk over by Lake Michigan and thought about a few things. I met a nice man there and he really put it into perspective for me."

"What man?"

"Oh don't be jealous Mick; I wasn't attracted to him at all. He just kind of found me off the side of a bike trail and we talked for a bit. He did stop the voices in my head though. Now I can do this without wanting to hurt you."

The "fake" Beth kissed Mick and forced her body against his and backed him up against the wall.

"I don't think right now would be the best time Beth." Mick said tearing himself away.

"Why not Mick, don't you want me?" she asked as she grinded up against Mick more.

"I do want you but not like this." He replied almost reaffirming this to himself.

"You say you don't, but your body says different." Her hand slid up his shirt, but when she raked her nails down his skin he felt a sharp, painful sensation and the smell of burning skin.

"What are you doing to me?" he growled grabbing both of her hands and noticed there was a silver alloy painted on her nails. "You're not Beth! Where is she? What have you done to her?"

"What's with all the questions?" She remarked; smirking, "If you want to see your _precious_ Beth again, you'll listen, and you'll listen good."

Mick stood there weighing his options. "Fine, what do you want?"

"I want Josef Kostine handed to me on a silver platter."

"NO! I won't do it. You can go to hell." Mick yelled only to be pinned up against the wall by Demitri who transformed back into the form of the blond man.

"You will do it or Beth will die. Every minute you sit here arguing with me is another minute your girlfriend suffers alone and in pain. Oh and believe me she's in pain. She's invisible to the world – even to you – but if you give me your word you'll be able to find her and possibly save her."

"What do you have against Josef? He wouldn't ever mess with the likes of you, demon." Mick choked out.

"Oh the Josef you know and the Josef I know are almost two entirely different people. He wronged me a couple of centuries back and now it's time to pay the piper. So do we have a deal?"

"Show me where Beth is first."

"Ah, ah, ah, no can do. That's not part of our deal. I'll make Beth visible again, but it's your job to find her. But it shouldn't be hard; you guys communicate so well with each other." Demitri sarcastically replied as he grabbed Mick's wrist and whispered something under his breath. Mick hissed in pain some sort of inscription was burned into his wrist.

"There's the contract of our deal," Demitri continued, "Since I'm assuming you can't read Latin; I'll paraphrase it for you."

"I Mick St. John agree to give Demitri any information regarding the whereabouts of Josef Kostine in exchange for help in rescuing his girlfriend, lover, and newly turned vampire Beth Turner. If you fail to deliver Josef to me within six days, your girlfriend will die and your soul will belong to me."

"Time's ticking Mick" Demitri said laughing evilly before he disappeared.

* * *

Even though Beth couldn't see, she knew she must've finally reached heaven. Everything was so peaceful and quiet and her body felt as if it was floating on a cloud and all her worries and cares were gone. She was finally at peace. There was no pain, no suffering, and no Mick. A large hole ripped through her heart as she thought about him, what he had gone through to save her those countless times, and what he sacrificed for her. He gave up his own mortality to save her and she gave up hers to be with him and yet despite these sacrifices they ripped apart by cruel and unforeseen circumstances.

Suddenly Beth heard sirens blaring nearby ripping her out of the peaceful realm of unconsciousness she was in. Every second the sirens continued to blare the more Beth's ears began to ring. Soon, the sudden and excruciating pain of the ambulance's sirens passed by not once, but three times.

"_Please God; oh please just let me die. I don't want to suffer anymore. Please, oh please just end it now." _Beth silently begged as she grabbed a hold of a rosebush branch nearby and began squeezing. Its sharp thorns drew blood but the pain kept her grounded.

When the sirens stopped, she the footsteps of people get out of the vehicle and the sound of doors slamming closed. The footsteps neared and then stopped at the edge of the sidewalk.

"Beth, I know you're around here." A familiar and panicked voice called out, "You've got to make some noise so I can find you."

Beth's body relaxed slightly from hearing Mick's voice call out to her.

"Please Beth, you've got to do something or we won't be able to find you." He called again searching frantically for her only twenty feet away.

Beth looked around for something, anything that could alert the Mick and the others to her presence but only found broken pieces of the dead rosebush she was dropped upon. However, the thorns were still considerably sharp so she squeezed one as hard as she could until she felt blood trickle down her palm.

"_Oh please Mick smell this – smell me." _Beth silently pleaded as she saw other paramedics walking in circles around her. She tried to pull herself into a sitting position but let out an agonizing scream around her waist began to dig into her skin

Finally a paramedic spotted Beth but shrank back when he touched the rope of thorns binding her.

"There's silver everywhere," he warned as he wiped his hands on his jacket. "We need one of the humans to untie her."

A large argument erupted between the human first responders and the vampire paramedics.

"I'm not stupid," one guy said as he glared at Beth, "That's an injured and thirsty vampire over there and if you think I'm getting anywhere near her teeth, you're crazy!"

While the insubordinate first responder was cursing and arguing, a large man walked away from the group and knelt down beside Beth.

"Ok I'm going to cut away the rosebush so try not to move." He said calmly as he took out a large hunting knife and began cutting.

When she was loose, he picked her up as if she was a rag doll and carried her over to the ambulance. Mick followed the paramedic into the back and shut the door behind them.

"The thorn bush she was laying upon was probably the only thing that saved her." He informed Mick, "Most of the silver in her blood stream bled out; however she needs to replenish her blood supply – and fast. I don't think the bagged human blood we brought with will do it either. It lacks the necessary amount of erythrocytes. She needs something fresh."

When Beth opened her eyes she saw the paramedic that saved her standing next to Mick who looked extremely worried and anxious.

"Ms. Turner, I need you to look at me for a moment." Replied the man as he took out the knife he used to cut away the rose bush and drew it across his wrist. "You need to feed so that whatever silver remains in your body can be flushed out."

Beth looked at the blood dripping down the man's arm and weakly turned her face away. Even though the blood appealed to her greatly, she didn't want to go crazy and not stop feeding until the man died.

"Beth, you need to do it." Mick said as he sat down next to her and stroked her hair, "Please, for me."

She gave unhappy glances at both the paramedic and Mick but accepted the blood that was being almost forced into her mouth. Every drink she took from the man was like a ball of lava coursing through her veins burning away all the remains of the poisonous silver. When the man pulled his arm away she felt Mick wipe the sweat away from her forehead and the tear from her eyes.

"You did good Beth, now rest. You're safe with me."

Before she sank back into oblivion she felt a feather-light kiss on her forehead reminding her that she was indeed safe.

"I love you…" she mumbled before passing out once more

**A.N. I hope you enjoyed that warm ending. I want to thank all of you for being so patient with me. I apologize ahead of time for any grammatical or spelling mistakes that you've found. It is currently 11:20 pm and I really wanted to get this chapter out on Fanfiction and I'm too tired to proofread it. If there's something extremely annoying or pressing, leave it as a review and I'll fix it tomorrow. **

**But aren't you excited to learn a little bit more about Josef's past? I am…well I'm excited to tell you. Hehe, toodles.**


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